Hastings landlords could face fines for hard to heat homes

On Monday (January 4), Hastings Borough Council’s cabinet agreed to name, shame and fine rogue landlords if they rent properties which fail to meet the recently-introduced national Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES).

The change comes as the council takes part in a government-funded pilot scheme aimed at enforcing the new standards, which came into force last April.

Andy Batsford (Lab), cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: “We are a town of renters. We are well above the national average in terms of rented properties and it is really important that we put those tenants at the forefront of our minds.

“The fact that more than 50 per cent of our residents live in rented accommodation means that the enforcement and the ability to actually make sure those places are safe and proper places to live is such an important issue for this town and this council as well.”

As a result of MEES, it is unlawful for landlords to rent out properties which have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G.

An EPC rating measures how energy-efficient a property is, with the rating based on things like the heating systems and insulation within a property. The property is then given a rating between A and G, with A being the most energy-efficient.

Generally speaking, the more energy-efficient a property is, the easier and cheaper it will be to keep it warm.

While MEES only came into force in April last year, the measure had been introduced as part of legislation in 2015.

There are several exemptions to these regulations, although a landlord will need to register on a national database for these exemptions to apply.

The council’s enforcement of the standards comes as part of a national pilot scheme, which is being funded through a £100,000 grant from the government.